Display apparatus



April 28, 1931. R. M. CRAIG DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Jan. '7, 1929Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD M. CRAIG, OFSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

, THOMASW. MENEFEE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS DISPLAY APPARATUS Originalapplication filed December 29, 1925, Serial No. 1929. Serial Thisinvention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to anilluminated advertising medium and constitutesa division from my PatentNumber 1,698,224, lssu'ed January 8, 1929.

One object of the invention is to provide an illuminated advertisingmedium adapted to be applied to a show window of a store and which, whenin operation, will be novel in appearance and attract attention to thestore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a store sign which, whenin operation, will call particular attention to an article which it isdesired to conspicuously advertise.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for directingattention to the entrance to the store Where the merchandise advertisedmay be purchased.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a sectional perspective view illustrating the manner in which theprinciples of the invention may be adapted to a window display foradvertising purposes, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric flashingsystem employed in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates the embodiment of the invention inan advertising display and in this figure the numeral 112 indicates ingeneral a store front and the numeral 113 indicates the plate glasswindow of the front which, in this instance, is red in color andsubstantially opaque except for a portion of its area, indicated by thenumeral 114, which is rendered substantially transparent underconditions of illumination to be presently explained. Red light bulbs115 and blue light bulbs 116 are arranged in a row along the upper sideof the pane 113, and any suitable worded or other advertising matter,indicated by the numeral 117, is represented upon the outer face of thepane 113 in any suitable pigment of a distinctive color, such, forexample, as blue and contrasting with the color of the pane. Arrangedagainst the inner side of the pane 113 and supported in any suitablemanner is a casing 118 in which 78,249. Divided and-this applicationvfiled. January 7, No. 330,938.

articles of merchandise, indicated by the numeral 119, may be arrangedin any desired attractive manner. Arranged within the casing 118 are anumber of white light bulbs, indicated by the numeral 120, and it willbe evident at this point that when the bulbs are lighted the interior ofthe casing will be flooded with white light rays thus rendering thearticles of merchandise 119 Visible through the area portion 114 of thepane 113, the said articles of merchandise at other times beinginvisible due to the opaque character of the pane. It will be observedby reference to Figure 1 that the casing 118 is open at its front andthe open front of the'casing is disposed directly against the inner sideof the .pane 113. Upon the sidewalk in front of the store front, thereis painted a display area 121 which is preferably red in color andwithin the bounds of this area there is painted, for example, an arrow122 which is white in color and which is, for example, pointed towardthe entrance to the store or other establishment. I

Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates a diagram of the electric circuitfor automatically flashing the several groups of lights, and in thisfigure the numeral 123 indicates in general a flasherwhich may be of thesimple type heretofore described and preferably comprises a disc 124 ofinsulating material having contact strips 125 and 126 upon its faceconcentric to the shaft of the flasher which is indicated by the numeral27 and which carries a contact arm 128 designed, in the rotation of theshaft, to ride over the contact strips 125 and 126. The numeral 129indicates a source of current supply and the numeral'130 indicates aconductor wire which is led from one side of the source of supply to theshaft 127. A conductor wire 131 is led from the other side of the sourceof current supply 129 and is electrically connected with one terminal ofeachof the sockets for all of the bulbs 115, 116 and 120. A conductorwire 132 .isled from .the contact strip 125 and connected to the otherterminal of the socket for each blue electric light bulb 116. Aconductor Wire 133 is led the conta t Strip 126 and is connected to theother terminal of each socket for each red light bulb 115 and likewiseto the other terminal of each socket for the while light bulbs 120.

In the operation of the flasher, the contact arm 128 moves over thecontact strip 125, closing the circuit through all of the blue lightbulbs 116 and as a consequence, the entire surface of the pane 113 isflooded with blue light, rendering the pane entirely opaque anddisplaying the matter 117 substantially white against the substantiallyblack background afforded by the pane 113. At this time the articles ofmerchandise arranged within" the casing 118 will, of course, be hiddenfrom view, due to the opaque character of the said pane 1123; Likewise,at this time, the area 121 will appear dark in color, due to theflooding of this area, which is red, with the complementary blue lightrays, and the arrow 122 will stand out against the Very dark back groundthus provided. As the contact arm 128 passes from the contact strip 125onto the contact strip 126, the blue lights are extinguished and the redlights 115 and white lights 120 are simultaneously lighted. Under thisillumination the matter 117 will appear substantially black against alight background, the display area 121- together with the arrow 122 willbe obliterated, and the interior of the casing 118 will be illuminatedand rendered visible so that the articles of merchandise arranged withinthe casing will be presented to the View of passersby. Thus, in the lastdescribed cycle of operation of the display apparatus, the articles ofmerchandise are displayed to view as well as the ad vertising matter 117and at the next moment the display surface 121 is rendered visibleas isalso the arrow 122 which points in the direction of the entrance to thestore.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: a

1. In display apparatus, a display surface of light rays transmittingmaterial of a distinctive color bearing matter to'be displayed"represented in a pigment color in contrast with the color of the saiddisplay surface, a closed display casing in rear of said surface havingan open side presented thereto, a display surface spaced from and inadvance of the first-mentioned surface and having a background of acolor substantially corresponding to the color of the first-mentionedsurface and bearing matter to be displayed represented in a color incontrast thereto, and means for successively displaying said surfacesunder light rays of a special color substantially corresponding to thepigment color in which the first-mentioned display matter 7 isrepresented and under light rays of a spectral color substantiallycorresponding to the color of the first-mentioned surface andsimultaneously illuminating the interior of the casing whereby todisplay thecontents of said thefirst-mentioned display matter isrepresentedyand under light rays of a-"spctral' color substantiallycorresponding to the color of the display surface, and simultaneouslyilluminating the interior of the casing whereby the contents of saidcasing is displayed by gransmitted light through the display surace.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RICHARD M. CRAIG. [L. s.]

